- Location
- Suffolk
This matches my experience... We have used no insecticide for 2 years except for beet crops. As a result our beet does seem to be less affected than others. BTW good luck to Tom tonight on the Wildlife trust webinar!
Beet growers have a neonic seed treatment for 2021
- Thread starter Bogweevil
- Start date
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
Although it's not ideal to do, I'd say if all of this year's seed is treated use that first and finish off with the untreated from last year. That way if we don't get the derogation next year (which I'd say is likely) we won't have any illegal seed to get rid of.
Who's to say BS will take it back for free!!! It could cost us several pounds to despose of it. The down side is you may end up with some 2 year old seed left but mixed in at a low % I'd say would be fine.
I think I read Vibrance is not approved for next year........
- Location
- Lincs / Notts
You are not allowed to use Vibrance SB seed after 1st June 2021.
If I’m correct it is used in every available treatment option therefore can’t order any units without it, to make sure we don’t end up with any left.
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
Oh well, I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on seed levels and increase/decrease the spacing of the seed to make sure we don't have any left overs of any kind.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
This evenings Wildlife Trust Seminar - with Tom Clarke.
Last edited:
- Location
- South Lincolnshire
Can someone share where proper scientific research/monitoring has proved that nicotinoid seed treatment actually does kill bees? Serious question, because I am wondering what evidence the RSPB and other environmental organisations use to back up their arguments.
- Location
- Essex
Not sure everyone will agree with your sentiments
- Location
- Lincs / Notts
I would imagine that it has been done in a lab where they actually drop the active ingredient directly onto a bee and not in real field growing situation.?
On the other side, I haven't noticed any studies showing actual evidence of the benefits to bees since banning neonicotinoids on sugar beet or OSR to back up their claims. I'd imagine the loss of thousands of ha. of WOSR being grown will of had a negative impact due to the loss of foraging areas.
- Location
- Essex
She's right but the "need" to grow sugar beet and for humans to consume sugar at current rates is tenuous to say the least. Tin hat on.
There's no need for us to have smart phones, dishwashers or tumble driers, I find that kind of argument pointless
- Location
- Essex
Tobacco growers would say the same thing
- Location
- Lincolnshire
There isn’t really any need for foreign holidays either but try stopping them.
If there is going to be an “adjustment” then it will need a sea change in attitudes and values across society. But at the moment it seems fine to pick on farmers and push them back to medieval times but don’t ever ask any member of the public to give up their unnecessary unsustainable luxuries. See what happens when you stop somebody driving 5 miles to take exercise with a coffee. Squealing about being persecuted FFS.
If there is going to be an “adjustment” then it will need a sea change in attitudes and values across society. But at the moment it seems fine to pick on farmers and push them back to medieval times but don’t ever ask any member of the public to give up their unnecessary unsustainable luxuries. See what happens when you stop somebody driving 5 miles to take exercise with a coffee. Squealing about being persecuted FFS.
Exactly. As I said elsewhere why should my neonics be banned from growing food while the public lash them on pets as flea treatments........ We just want consistency but we are constantly being made scapegoats for all sorts of problems.
- Location
- South Lincolnshire
Well as Craig Bennett said at the start of that webinar: "everybody loves bees". Are flea treatments on pets causing bee deaths?
Can’t prove otherwise but if they sh!t or roll in the local wildflower meadow then very probably. I believe there was a study that showed this but don’t ask me to quote it.
- Location
- West Suffolk
I saw another petition on FB last night, this time from Greenpeace, “stop the bee killing pesticide that has been banned in the EU since 2013”!! This one was up to 140k signatures.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Stop this and stop that. I wouldn't mind if there were viable alternatives. Do these people realise they are closing farming down and what do they propose to do about finding alternative food sources? I'm genuinely interested to know where they think food production going.
We are already in quite a bit of bother here with loss of OSR. I am actually growing beet "one last and final time" but after that we are going to be reduced to spring barley, grass and fallows and the farm will become a sideline rather than the serious business it once was. We are trying spring beans but the number of actives is so limited now I think they we will struggle. We still have winter wheat but it relies on a break crop here and there soon won't be a viable break crop. Wet winters, loss of actives, its not good.
We are already in quite a bit of bother here with loss of OSR. I am actually growing beet "one last and final time" but after that we are going to be reduced to spring barley, grass and fallows and the farm will become a sideline rather than the serious business it once was. We are trying spring beans but the number of actives is so limited now I think they we will struggle. We still have winter wheat but it relies on a break crop here and there soon won't be a viable break crop. Wet winters, loss of actives, its not good.
- Location
- West Suffolk
@DrWazzock they want to import everything from places where they can’t see how it’s produced and turn this country into scrubland.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Think the government quite keen on Peatland restoration. Reduce the carbon losses and footprint. Maybe easier money that growing Agria!!!! Last few weeks gives a bit of an impression of raised water levels!